Shock-absorber.



P. M. FREER." SHOCK ABSORBER. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 25, 1909;

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

I UNITED STATES PATENT anion.

PHELPS M.- FREEKiOF LANSING, "Mro IcAm ssIeNon or ONE-FOURTH To WILLlAMW. POPE .AND ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES w.- I

HAWKiNs, BOTH or AKRON, 0111c..-

' SHOCK-ABSORBER.

of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shock absorbers designed to absorb or neutralize a shock communicated from one instrume'ntality to the other through the medium of springs and the object thereof is to provide adevice of the class named primarily designed for use in connection with self-propelled vehicles to absorb or neutralize the sudden shock incident to the use of vehicle springs, to. prevent transmission of a sudden verticalv movement of the axle relative to the body of the vehicle.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device which will be simple, strong, durable in use, easily manufactured, possessed of a high de ree'of efficiency and one which is capable 0 employment in connection with any type of springs, either thosein use on a vehicle or elsewhere. 1

A still further object of thisinvention is to so construct the device that it may be applied to vehicles after their completion with little or no alteration in the general make up thereof, thereby making ita substantially universally applicable device.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel con struction, combination and arrangement of parts constituting the invention to be here-' inafter specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings'which form a part hereof wherein is. shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be .understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which .come within thefscopeofjthe claims hereunto appended. r p v p In the drawings, in whichsimil'ar reference numerals indicate like parts i'n thedifferentfigures: Figure 1 view in side cle vation of'the rear face of the 'devicewith a portion thereof broken away to'better illustrate.the interior thereof. F ig. 2 is a view in end elevation looking fromthe right in .Fig. 1. :Fig. 3 is avertical, central, trans .verse sectional view online'X of Fig. ,1; and,- Fig. {his a view in side' elevation of thedejvice shown in Figs. 1 and "2' in operative re- Specification 01 Letters p te t; 1 Application filed January 25,1909. serial No. 474,077.

' Patented AugQlO, 1909.

lation with respect to the rear portion, axleand springs of. a: vehicle.

In the drawings, 1 denotes a casing which embodies a central enlarged hollow body portion2 from which extend-a pair of oppositely -.dis osed tubular members 3, 3.

Preferably. ormed integral with the casing are a pair of lugs 4 provided with o enings 5 through which maybe passed hold est devices for suitably supporting the device. One side of the body portion 2 of .the casing 1 is open and may be closed through the medin-m of a cover 26 held in position by screws 6 or their equivalents. The opposite Wall of the. body portion 2 is provided with an outwardly-projecting annular beading 7 and an integral bushing 8, the latter projecting into the interior of the body portion 2; p

The opening surrounded by the bushin 8 constitutes a bearing vfor a rotatable mem er having an outwardly projecting and preferably squared shank 9 formed integral with a cylindrical portion 10 which has on its inner end a cam-shaped portion 11. The camshaped portion 11 is provided with an annular recess 12 to receive the inwardly-extending bushing 8 and is adapted to rotate with the cylindrical portion 10 as a center in the bushing 8 as a hearing. The portion of formed integral with the casing 1 and have cylindrical interiors, in each of which is mounted a slidable plunger 13 having the front end thereof preferably provided with a wear-resisting substance 14 such as vulcanized fiber which is formed upon curvilinear lines corresponding in contour to the outer periphery of the face of the camsha'ped 'portion' 11" and adapted to bear thereon. The plungers on opposite sides are approximately diametrically disposed to each other and are further preferably placed with their axes'in alinement. The rear portion of each-of the plungers'13 is recessed at 15 for a purpose to be later described.

The outer ends of the tubular-members 3 are preferably. interiorly threaded to receive so tached to the squared. shank 9 and itsoppo- 18 the normal tendency of which is to force the inner face of the plunger 13, in connection with which it is used, against the outer periphery of the cam-shaped portion 11 for resisting the rotation thereof and eonsti tuting'a braking member therefor. The tension of the spring 18 may be readily adjusted by inserting a suitable tool in the slot 17 and changing the position of the cup-shaped closure member 16 with res ect to the member 3.

It willbe noted that in Fig. 1 only one of the tubular members is shown with} the wall thereof broken away, to better illustrate its interior construction, but it will be obvious that the description which has just been given with reference to the mechanism described therein applies with equal force to the mechanism of the tubular member situated on the opposite side of the cam-shaped portion 11.

In setting up a device embbdying the structure-just described, the cover 26 is removedand the rotatable member positioned in its seat in the bushing 8 with the squared shank 9'theneof projecting forwardly, after which the cover 26 is replaced. The two closure members 16 are then removed and th plungers 13 inserted in the cylindrical openings in the tubular -members 3, after which the springs-18 are positioned. The plungers are then forced into operative and breaking engagement with theexterior periphery of the cam-shaped portion by screwing the closure members 16 to place.

When the device is set up as just described,

y'the springs 18 are under a partial tension when the cam-shaped portion 11 is in its 45.

normal position with the plungers 13 hearing against opposite sides thereof, which engagement prevents the cam returning to itsnormal position when partially rotated without the employment of extraneous force applied to the shank end thereof and as the pressure exerted by the springs 18 is a plied on opposite sides of the cam, as alrea y noted, the thrust on the bearing in which the member '10 is mounted is to a large extent eliminated.

The operation of the device is shown dia-' grammatically in Fig. 4 in which the device is secured to the frame 19 of a vehicle by holdfast devices 20 with the lower end thereof depending. A lever 21 is then. at

site end is pivotally-connected to a member 23 fixedly-secured to an axle 24: of the vehicle, which is also provided with ordinary elliptical springs 25.

It will b obvious of course that the device may be attached to the axle of a vehicle and the link 22 pivotally-attached to the frame 19, thereby reversing the position of the members; but the device performs the same function in either position. The vertical movement of the axle 24 of the vehicle during its progress over the roadway will cause the link 22 to oscillate the lever 21 causing thereby a rotary movement of the rotatable member in its bearing. This rotary movement is resisted by the frictional contact of the peri heral portion thereof on the plungers 13 he (1 against it by the resilient action of the springs 18 which maintain constant resistance to the rotation of the cam-sha Jed portion 11 in eitherdirection. It will e noted that when the cam-shaped portion 11 is'rotated the tendency will be to bring. those ortions thereof which have the greater radii and which are designated in the drawings by the reference numeral 27 into engaging relation with one or the other of the plungers 13, thereby increasing the frictional resistance to the rotation thereof after the first portion of the rotation.

- one instrumentality to the otherare'resisted with'less force-than greater shocks, and the greater the movement of one instrumentality with respect to the other the greater will be the rotation ofv the cam-shaped portion 11, thereby producing greater resistance to its movement, due to the compressing of the springs 18 by bringing the portion 27 of the cam shaped portion 11 into engagement with the inner forward end of the plungers l3, and which, by reason of its greater radius will tend to compress the springs and increase their effective force. 1

From the foregoing it will be seen that this device affords an unusually simple and effective means to neutralize or absprb a sudden relative movement of one instrumen-' tality, such as the axle of a vehicle, with respect to the position of any instrumentality, such as the body, and while this device has been described with reference to and in connection with avehicle, its usefulness in other places will be apparent.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device forneutralizing or absorbing the shock incident to the movement of two instrumentalities connected by a spring, comprising a rotatable element suitably-supported by one of said instrumentalities,.providcd with a cam-shaped portion, an arm having one end thereof connected with said element for rotating the same, the opposite cam-shaped portion and a coiled resilient element adapted to force the wear-resisting material "carried by lsaid plunger into frictional engagement with the outer surface of said element:

2. A device for neutralizing or absorbing the shock incident to the movement of two instrumentalities connected by a sprin comprising a casing suitably supported by one of said instrumentalities, provided with a bearing, a rotatable element provided with a cam-shaped portion mounted in said bearing, an arm having one end thereof connected with said-element for rotating the same, the opposite end of said arm being pivotally-connected to a complementary instrumentality, said casing provided with an extension arranged approximately radially to the axis of said element, a shiftable element mounted in said extension, the inner face. adapted to bear on the outer periphery of said cam-shaped portion and a resilient v ,elementfor causing cooperation between said shiftable element and the periphery of said cam-shaped portion.

3. A device for neutralizing or absorbing the shock incident to the movement of two bearing, a rotatable element provided with a cam-shaped portion mounted in said bear: mg, an arm having one end thereof connected with said element for rotatingthe same, the opposite end of said-arm being pivotallyronnected to a complementary instrumentality, said casing provided with an extension approximately radial to the axis of said rotatable element, a shiftable memher having the inner face thereof fashioned to engage the cam-shaped portion of said element, mounted in said extension, a re silient element within said extension and a closure device. constituting an abutment for the outer end of said resilient element to enable the latter to force said shiftable mem ber into frictional engagement with the camshaped portion of said rotatable element;

4. A device for neutralizing or absorbing the shock incident to the movement of two instrumentalities connected by a spring, comprising a casing suitably supported by one of said instrumentalities, provided with a bearing, a rotatable element provided with a cam-shaped portion mounted in said bear-.

ing, an arm having one end thereof connected with said element for rotating the same, the opposite end of said arm being pivotally-connected to a complementary instrumentality, said casing provided with an extension disposed radially with respect to the axis of said element, a shiftable mem-v ber carried by said extension, the inner face of, which is fashioned to engage the periphery of said cam-shaped portion, means car- .ried by said extension for yieldingly holding said shift-able member inoperative position and adjustable means on said extension adapted to constitute an abutment for said yieldable means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- I Witnesses:

JAMES HARRIS, S. L. KILBOURNE. 

